(ANS - Rome)- The Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, has issued the wording of the 2016 Strenna: "WITH JESUS, we journey together in an adventure of the Spirit!".

As usual, the work of reflection on the Strenna took place during the Summer Plenary Session of the General Council. When explaining the choice of his second Strenna, Fr Á.F. Artime drew attention to several aspects: first, the power of the Spirit who acts in freedom and knocks on the door of every human being; secondly, the experience of the journey that all must do as they go through life: then the sense of adventure, because often in the journey we reach a point where "there are no certainties," but we carry on in the knowledge that the Spirit will surprise us and lead us beyond all our expectations.

In this adventure our true model is Jesus, who "always sought the will of the Father, inspired, accompanied, led and guided by the Spirit." Our other models are Mary of Nazareth "who lived an adventure of the Spirit with trust in God and without knowing what the point of arrival would be"; and Don Bosco, "who lived his entire life open to the Spirit, because his one desire was to respond to what God asked of him, for himself and for his young people."

According to the Rector Major, this journey of interiority and spirituality accompanied by the Spirit is expressed:

• in a profound experience of Faith
• by cultivating the Community dimension of this same faith
• by growing in mercy and in the fraternal dimension of life.

Fr Á.F. Artime concludes with a polite request: "we would like to ask you, dear young people, to allow us to make this journey together with you! Let us walk this path together! May we learn together and discover from our shared experience that this will be good for all of us.  This is a programme that unites Salesians, Salesian Family, youth leaders and young people in all Salesian settings worldwide”.

The Rector Major’s document on the wording and guidelines for the 2016 Strenna is available in various languages ​​on the website sdb.org. The message will be developed in the coming months and the definitive version will be released, as usual, in the final days of the year.

Published 06/07/2015